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African American Methodism in the M. E. Tradition: the Case of Sharp Street (Baltimore)

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African American Methodism in the M. E. Tradition: the Case of Sharp Street (Baltimore) The North Star: A Journal of African American Religious History (ISSN: 1094-902X ) Volume 8, Number 2 (Spring 2005) African American Methodism in the M. E. Tradition: The Case of Sharp Street (Baltimore) J. Gordon Melton, Institute for the Study of American Religion ©2005 J. Gordon Melton. Any archiving, redistribution, or republication of this text in any medium requires the consent of the author. The role of African Americans in the The life and role of Black Methodists, Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) in the however, were rarely considered in such decades prior to the Civil War remains on of discussions. The subsequent attempts to the most neglected areas of African discuss Black ME Methodists were largely American religious studies. This neglect has limited to celebrating the careers of several persisted in spite of the fact that the MEC preachers—Harry Hosier, John Charleston, was the largest denomination among Henry Evans, John Stewart. Only in the last America's several religious communities decade has some effort to move beyond this during these years and included in its situation been made.2 Thus all the questions membership more African Americans than remain—why did the majority of African any other group. The problem became Americans who identified themselves as evident as the new discipline of African Methodists remain in the MEC through the American religious studies appeared in the Antebellum Period, rather than join one of 1960s. Significant studies had and were the several independent Black appearing concerning white attitudes toward denominations? What were the issues that African Americans and the changing split the Black Methodist community into positions of Methodists regarding slavery.1 four groups, especially what issues divided those that left the MEC and those that stayed? What role did Black Methodists play 1 Cf. Donald G. Matthews, Slavery and Methodism: A Chapter in American Morality, 1780-1845 (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1965); William B. Gravely, William B., "Early Methodism Harrison Daniel, "The Methodist Episcopal Church and Slavery: The Roots of a Tradition," Wesleyan and the Negro in the Early National period," Quarterly Review 2 (May 1965): 301-15; Lewis B. Methodist History (1973). 2 Purifoy, "The Methodist Anti-Slavery Tradition, CF., for example, Grant Shockley, "Negro Leaders 1784-1844," Methodist History 4 (July 1966): 3-16; in American Methodism." The Garrett Tower 12, 1 William B. Gravely, "Methodist Preachers, Slavery, (December 1966): 3-12; J. H. Graham, J. H., Black and Caste: Types of Social Concern in Antebellum United Methodists: Retrospect and Prospect (New America," Duke Divinity School Review 34 (Autumn York: Vantage Press, 1979); and Julius E. Del Pino, 1969): 209-29; David H. Bradley, "Francis Asbury "Blacks in the United Methodist Church from Its and the Development of African Churches in Beginning to 1968," Methodist History 19, 1 America," Methodist History (1971): 3-29; W. (October 1980): 3-20. 1 The North Star: A Journal of African American Religious History (ISSN: 1094-902X ) Volume 8, Number 2 (Spring 2005) in the development of the MEC? These are fresh perspective on the MEC's Black the questions this essay will attempt to membership can begin to emerge. Since that probe? story begins in Maryland, the story of the Sharp Street Church seems a logical place to The neglect of the MEC's African American begin. membership has been largely attributed to the paucity of documentation. That has been Recasting the Story to date a valid argument. Thus, this paper is also, in part, an attempt to address that The story of American Methodism is problem. It is the first of a proposed series of anchored in three events—all three of which papers that have grown out of a three-decade integrally involve African Americans. The attempt to assemble all of the records on ME very first thing we know about American Black Methodists that have survived from Methodists is that in June of 1765, an Irish the period under consideration. Those three American Methodist preacher named Robert decades have also seen the significant Strawbridge (d.1781) came to Baltimore, expansion of knowledge of the African Maryland, to deliver what appears to be the American community in general meaning first Methodist sermon in the New World. that we can now tease out much more Before he preached, however, a young Black information from the Methodist records.3 man, Caleb Hyland (spelled differently in The examination of the Methodist sources various sources), arranged a speaking stand seems now to have reached a point that a from which Strawbridge spoke.4 As J. A. Handy later observed, Strawbridge's ". .first pulpit was a block in front of a blacksmith 3 Among the more general items of particular shop, at what is now the corner of Front and relevance to the situation in Baltimore are: J. Thomas Bath Street. The next Sunday he preached Scharf, The Chronicles of Baltimore: Being a from a table at the corner of Baltimore and Complete History of "Baltimore Town" and "Baltimore City" from the Earliest Period to the Calvert street, at which time he was 5 Present Time (Baltimore: Turnbull Brothers, 1874); mobbed." Hyland, a free Black man, owned James M. Wright, The Free Negro in Maryland, the Boot black shop in front of which 1634-1860 (New York; Colombia University, 1921, Strawbridge preached and supplied him with rpt.: New York: Octagon Books, 1971); T. Stephen Whitman, The Price of Freedom: Slavery and Manumission in Baltimore and Early National 4 Maryland (Lexington, KY: University Press of This story is recounted in James A. Handy, Scraps Kentucky, 1997); Christopher Phillips, Freedom's of African Methodist Episcopal History Port : The African American Community of (Philadelphia: A. M. E. Book Concern, 1902). Posted Baltimore, 1790-1860 (Champaign: University of at: http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/handy/menu.html. 5 Illinois Press, 1997); and Leroy Graham, Baltimore: Handy, J. A. "On the Introduction of African The Nineteenth Century Black Capital (Lanham, MD: Methodism in Maryland." In Benjamin W. Arnett, ed. University Press of America, 1982). The Centennial Budget (N.P.: Benjamin W. Arnett, 1888): 273. 2 The North Star: A Journal of African American Religious History (ISSN: 1094-902X ) Volume 8, Number 2 (Spring 2005) the table. He would be an active person in beginning and were present in every the Baltimore Black Methodist community geographical region into which the church for the next half century. penetrated. From the beginning, not only were no obstacles placed in the way of their Several months after Strawbridge's inaugural joining, they were, in fact, welcomed into sermon, he would organize a Methodist class membership, and, more importantly for the at Sam's Creek, Frederick County, story, would soon be actively recruited. Maryland, some 50 miles from Baltimore. Methodism was unique among American That class included at least one African denominations for its systematic recruitment American, known only as Aunt Annie, a of African Americans. servant in the Switzer family. A short time later, early in 1766, at the instigation of African Methodists were thus already an Barbara Heck (1734-1804), another integral part of the Methodist movement immigrant from Ireland, the first class in when the preachers commissioned by New York City was formed. One member of Methodist founder John Wesley for the care that class was a servant woman, remembered of the American members arrived from only as Betty. Betty would go on to become England. Actually, the first a charter member of John Street Church, the contemporaneous records we have of first Methodist Church in the city, and one African members come from the journals of the original members of the first and letters written by that first wave of Methodist church in Canada (organized after preachers. The initial mention of Black the American Revolution).6 Methodists dates to November 4, 1769, in this entry from the journal of Richard These historical notes remind us of what has Boardman (1738-1782): become a truism in Methodist Studies: African Americans have formed an The number of blacks that attend the important minority group within what is preaching affects me much. One of now the United Methodist Church over the them came to tell me she could neither centuries. However, they do somewhat eat nor sleep, because her master more, in pointing out that African would not suffer her to come to hear Americans were present from the very the word. She wept exceedingly, saying, "I told my master I would do more work than ever I used to do if he 6 Cf. John Atkinson, The Beginnings of the Wesleyan would but let me come; nay, that I Movement in America and the Establishment Therein of Methodism (New York: Hunt & Eaton, 1896); J. B. Wakeley, Lost Chapters Recovered from the Early History of American Methodism (New York: Wilbur B. Ketcham, 1889). 3 The North Star: A Journal of African American Religious History (ISSN: 1094-902X ) Volume 8, Number 2 (Spring 2005) would do everything in my power to mighty power and glory of Sinai's be a good servant."7 God. Many of the people were so overcome, that they were ready to In Maryland several years later, Joseph faint, and die under His almighty hand. Pilmoor (1739-1825) recorded a similar For about three hours the gale of the incident: spirit thus continued to break upon the dry bones, and they did live, the life of While we were on our knees wrestling the glorious love. As for myself, I with God, I observed one of the scarce knew whether I was in the body Negroes go out, and thought he was or not; and so it was with all my afflicted [in?] his mind and so it brethren.
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